


Kazukoi Week 2020

by Kaizokuokubey



Category: Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Angst, Body Horror, Bonding over interests, Bullying, Car Accidents, Child Neglect, Cooking, Dancing, Drunkenness, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gift Giving, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Island Mode (Dangan Ronpa), Laundry, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Self Confidence Issues, Self-Doubt, Sewing, Slow Dancing, Supportive Saionji Hiyoko, Survivor Guilt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:34:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26966008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaizokuokubey/pseuds/Kaizokuokubey
Summary: 7 days of the biggest nerds on the island! Dedicated to someone very special to me!
Relationships: Koizumi Mahiru/Soda Kazuichi
Comments: 83
Kudos: 32





	1. Not So Tactless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 1: Hopes Peak
> 
> A sudden visit from Mahiru drives Soda to have to reveal one of his more subtle talents.

“Soda!” A voice called from the other side of the door, followed by a barrage of knocking. “I know you’re in there, open up!”

Soda groaned as he gazed over at the wooden threshold where the noise had been coming from. Letting out a yawn, his eyes moved to where the clock on his wall was. Seeing that it had already been five in the afternoon, and he had unknowingly skipped class. His stomach ached as the knocking continued. But when he looked down at the engine he had spent all day working on, a sense of pride overcame his anxiety. That was until the next set of knocks broke him out of it.

“Maybe Miss Yukizomi will let me off with a warning if I made her a car.” He told himself, tying the arms of his jumpsuit around his waist. 

He opened the door a crack, and cautiously began to peak through. Only to have his visitor to shove the door open all the way. 

Forced backwards, Soda fell down onto the wooden floor in a position rivaling one of Mikan's. When he gazed up, he was met with the feisty glare of Mahiru Koizumi. She wore her usual look of annoyance as she stood over the mechanic. 

“So, are you trying to become a rotten orange?” She asked with her hands on her hips. She leaned forward so her face was mere inches away from his.

Their teachers’ phrase of choice stabbed into Soda as she said it. But not enough that he couldn’t notice Mahiru’s choice of attire. She wasn’t in her school uniform, choosing instead to don a yellow polo shirt with an olive green and yellow jumper dress. 

“N-no! I just lost track of time is all, I’ll be sure to go to class tomorrow!” Soda excused, waving his hands in fear. “It’s only my first day missing class, and this is a really important project!” 

Mahiru raised a single eyebrow at her panicked classmate. His pitiful look was enough to tell her he was genuinely sorry for missing class. Closing her eyes, she wearily stood up straight.

“Jeez!” Mahiru sighed, placing a stack of papers on his desk. “I brought the study plan from today’s lesson. The homework isn’t due until Monday, so if you need any help ju- SODA!” She screamed, “W-W-What is that?”

Soda turned his head and instantly noticed what she was referring to. A pile of dirty laundry had sat along the base of his empty hamper.

“They’re just my clothes!”

“They’re going all over the place! Jeez!”

“I’ll wash them when you leave!” Soda lied, wanting the red head to leave him be. 

“How do I know you’re not lying?”

“I’ll do my laundry! Promise!”

“Well,” Mahiru caught a hold of herself. “Everyone was talking about going to Karaoke later tonight, and I thought you might like to go too. How about you let me help you pick out something to wear?” She made her way to the closest, shamelessly throwing it open to see Soda’s lack of clean clothes. She looked at the empty closet for a moment, before slowly turning to him with a concerned look on her face. “See, you don’t even have anything clean! How many days have you worn that jumpsuit?”

Soda ran over and slammed the closet door.

“Hey, y-you can’t just come in here and go through my things.” His voice cracked from obviously being uneasy with how little she valued his privacy.

“Well if you took better care of yourself, I wouldn’t have to worry about you so much!”

As Mahiru said this both of them went red. They awkwardly starred at one another, before quickly looking away.

“Stay there, I’ll load the washer!” Soda ordered, to which Mahiru silently obliged. 

After he picked up the clothes from around the hamper, Soda began shoveling the mass of cotton and wool into the circular entrance of the machine. When it was full, he grabbed the soap and began pouring it into a measuring cup. His hand shook anxiously, causing some of it to fall onto the floor.

“Jeez, let me help!” Mahiru groaned, unable to watch in silence anymore. Only to be forced to a halt by the sound of loud tearing the second she began making her way over to him. Slowly she turned to look behind herself, noticing a piece of torn green fabric lodged inside the closed closet door. She then looked back over to Soda who wore an odd expression, trying not to stare at her. As Mahiru finally realized her situation, her face turned as red as her hair.

\-----

The sound of the washing machine churning echoed through the fairly small dorm room. Soda sat at his desk with a needle and thread in one hand, and Mahiru’s dress in the other. The dress’ owner had been seated on a nearby stool that was hidden behind a tool rack. A position used to protect what dignity she had left. Her face not losing the bright red hue none the less. 

“I swear it was an accident!” Soda claimed defensively, while he swiftly but thoroughly hemmed the torn fabric. 

“I know, I know! You don’t have to keep saying that!” Mahiru groaned, trying to avoid eye contact. “It wasn’t alright of me to just go through your stuff like that. But jeez who puts off laundry to the point that their closet is completely empty?”

“It’s not completely empty, I’ve got a couple of toolboxes in there.”

“Yeah, but still I’d expect you to keep junk, or dirty magazines, or something!”

“No, my mom burned those in middle school. Now I don’t buy them because I feel guilty!”

Mahiru rolled her eyes before starring at him again.

“But I’m kind of glad she did. Because if not, this whole thing would have been a lot more uncomfortable! It just goes to show how much she looks out for me even when she’s not around.”

Mahiru watched him as he continued nonchalantly sewing the dress. His stitching was almost professional compared to most boys she knew who couldn’t even thread a needle.

“So, was your mom the one who taught you to sew?”

“Yep! And to cook, write, and dye my hair.”

“Your mom was ok with you dying your hair?” Mahiru asked, surprised that someone would be so casual as to allow their son to dye his hair such a loud color.

“Sure, I mean she’s not like my dad who’d simply beat my ass and tell me to stop being such a good for nothing- well you know.” Soda recalled; his tone was weirdly casual while talking about such a harsh subject. 

Mahiru wanted to say something, but couldn’t think of the right words. Instead they sat in silence for a few minutes as the washer came to a halt. Soda set Mahiru’s dress down as he went to put the soggy clothes in the dryer.

“So, your mom sounds great!” Mahiru said, breaking the silence around them. “I like my mom too, but aside from teaching me photography she’s never around all that much. She never scolds me, or really holds me to anything for that matter. Jeez, that’s probably why I’m so bossy.”

Silently, Soda sat back down and finished hemming the final touches on the dress. His hands worked fast as he became hyper focused on completing it. It was like he was trying to be done as soon as possible so he could to avoid making a comment.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing!” Soda finally said, tying the thread in place. “Saionji, Tsumiki, Owari, heck even Miss Sonia. None of them have what you have.”

“Huh? What I have?” Mahiru asked, tilting her head.

“Nobody has the guts to talk to everyone like you do. Straightforward, but not insulting. You genuinely seem to care. At least enough to come scold a tactless guy like me! I really respect that about you!” He said, handing her the dress. “Here, how’s that?”

Stepping down from the bench, she took it from him. Admiring the stitching, her face lit up from the pleasant surprise of how nice it looked.

“Wow Soda, I guess I’m going to have to eat my words on the whole tactless thing!”

Soda smiled as the dryer buzzed, signaling the clothes were done. 

“Oh, I’ll go take care of those. It’ll take a bit, so you go ahead and get dressed. I’ll give you some privacy ok?” Soda said escaping into the bathroom.

Mahiru stepped out of her hiding place, taking a second to really admire how well Soda had fixed her dress. So infatuated that she didn’t notice the doorknob of the dorm room turning.

“Huh? Who’s there?” Soda screamed running out of the bathroom in his undershirt and boxers as the door swung open.

“Hey Soda? I noticed you missed class bud. Do you wanna go to kare-OK!” Nekomaru casually barged in. Taking one good look at Soda being barely dressed, and Mahiru once again bright red and pulling her shirt down over her legs. “I see…Bye now. I’ll be sure to knock next time!”

“W-wait! Nekomaru, it’s not what you think!” Soda gasped, reaching for the larger boy.

“J-jeez!” Mahiru groaned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because the Soda spinoff manga is valid as hell!


	2. The Gift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 2: Jabberwock Island
> 
> Mahiru has a surprise for Kazuichi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place during an Island mode esq setting, but where the MonoMono machine is still there.

“Whats this for?” Hiyoko asked, pulling a small paper and wood plane like object out from Mahiru’s drawer. “It looks like a weird origami bird or something.” 

“Hey be careful with that!” Mahiru scolded, grabbing the device out of the dancer’s hand, and placing it safely back inside the drawer where it belonged. “Please don’t go through my stuff ok?”

“Sheesh, I was just asking what it was!” Hiyoko groaned, before lazily sprawling herself out along the tidy bed. 

“It’s called a Lilienthal’s Wings. It’s sort of like an early model airplane. Well, actually it didn’t have a motor, so I suppose it was more like a hang glider.” Mahiru explained, closing the drawer.

Hyoko pulled her gummies from out of her sash, and began to nibble on them. All while immediately growling uninterested in the secretive item her friend was so quick to hide.

Mahiru returned to the bathroom and proceeded to brush her teeth. She rinsed her mouth out, and wiped her face before exiting the lavatory.

“Alright, it’s time for you to go. I’ve got errands I have to attend to!” Mahiru kindly but sternly ordered, as she pulled Hiyoko off the bed and onto her feet. 

“Errands on an island?” The dancer groaned, before making her way to the door. “Oh well, I guess I’ll pour ants down Pig Barf's shirt again. That’s always fun!”

Mahiru exhaled as she listened to Hiyoko walk off. Then making sure the coast was clear, she pulled the Lilienthal’s Wings out of the drawer and chuckled to herself. Taking the plane, the photographer gently placed it in her backpack. Securing it along with other things she had gotten from the MonoMono machine safely inside. Then she threw the bag over her shoulders, skipped through the door of her cottage, climbed down the steps, and went on her way to the second island.

Mahiru’s brown loafers clicked against the yellow wood, as she excitedly crossed the bridge. Her breathing was heavy from not being used to running like she had been. But it was important to her that she get to where she was going as soon as possible. 

Not slowing her pace, she looked down at her right hand where a silver ring had been hugging her finger. Smiling at it, her desire to see the one who had given it to her amplified.

She arrived at the diner around noon, and as expected Soda was there. Resting his head on his palm, he gazed out the window. In front of him was a small brown radio, and a glass of iced tea. The radio was barely audible even after Mahiru had sat down across from him.

“Is it broken?” She asked, making Soda jump.

Looking at her, he sighed in relief. Her freckled face was a lot more comforting to him than someone like Nagito.

“I got it from the MonoMono machine.” He replied, fumbling with the dials. “It works just fine, but without a radio tower nearby there’s nothing for it to pick up.”

“Is that so?” Mahiru asked, scratching her chin.

“Yeah, I was trying to pick up a signal so we could contact home.” Kazuichi moaned, leaning back in defeat. “But I’ve been trying for days with no luck whatsoever. Maybe it’s better if I just scrap it for parts. It could make a neat voice recorder for Mioda or something.”

“Well, maybe this will cheer you up!” Mahiru said pulling the glider out of her bag. Kazuichi’s eyes lit up as he reached for it, only to realize his rashness and set them on the table. “Go ahead, you can have it!”

“Huh? You really don’t mind?” Soda asked, taking it from her. “Oh thanks, this is awesome!” He beamed, with his voice going a pitch higher. “Hey, this gives me an idea!” He cheered placing the radio and glider in his bag. He then chugged the rest of his tea, and ran out the door. 

Mahiru was left alone with her thoughts. She glanced down at her hand where the silver ring had still adorned her finger. A pain emerged in her chest, but she didn’t understand why. What did she expect him to do when she gave it to him? Letting out a deep sigh of disappointment she rose to her feet, ready to head back to her cottage. 

Only for him to return a few seconds later.

“You wanna come with me to the beach house, and help put it together? It doesn’t feel right to do this without offering the gal who made it happen a front row seat!”

\---

The two made their way to the surprisingly empty beach house. There, Soda emptied his bag of all kinds of tools and machinery that had been stored inside. Including the glider, radio, and a strange white device tied to a deflated balloon. 

Mahiru looked on quietly as Soda opened up the radio with his screwdriver, and began rewiring it. 

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Mahiru asked.

“I have a camera in my bag.” He replied, not looking up. “I don’t know how to put the film in, so will you do it please?”

“Well I am a photographer after all!” Mahiru chuckled.

Together they set up the mysterious machine. Every now and again Kazuichi gave Mahiru a small task to help assemble it, but nothing extremely difficult. It took roughly an hour, but they finally had a finished product. 

It looked a spaceship from a sci-fi movie. A white box with wings and rudders emerging from the sides and back. Three antennas stuck out from various points. And near the bottom there was a hatch that held the camera she had put film inside.

Grabbing a few drinks from the fridge, they took the machine to the outside beach.

It was completely silent save for the ambient noise of crashing waves. Soda cheerfully placed his device down on the golden sand, before tying a coil of string to it. Unrolling the coil, he backed away from the device. Only stopping when he was stood right beside Mahiru.

“So, what is it?” She asked.

“Well, in short it’s a kite!” He announced, proudly placing his hands on his hips.

“A kite?”

“Well its actually an advanced Radiosonde! When I push this button, a balloon will inflate sending it into the atmosphere. There it’ll record weather patterns. Then as soon as we run out of cable, I’ll use the remote to rupture the balloon. We can then fly it using your gift. I also hooked a camera to it so that it would regularly snap pictures as it flies.”

“Oh wow, so it’ll take pictures of the whole island?” Mahiru gasped, surprised by how crafty the device seemed. “What’s the string for?”

“Oh, that.” Kazuichi answered, his face becoming nervous. “That’s so we can find it if it crashes. Usami said we’d get in trouble if we litter, right?” 

His demeanor took a full 180. The thought of failure apparently caught up to him, and he was now trembling anxiously.

“Hey, don’t be like that!” Mahiru scolded. “You were so excited just a second ago, but now you’re not even giving it a chance? You’re the ultimate mechanic, have more confidence in yourself!”

“Y-y-yeah, you’re right!” Soda said, fumbling with the remote. “I got this! I got this! I got this!”

When he pressed the button there was a shrill whistle before the balloon of the radiosonde began to inflate.

“Don’t be too heavy, don’t be too heavy, don’t be too heavy, don’t be too heavy!” Soda repeated, while his hands trembled. Mahiru looked down at them, and then at her own. His mumbling continued full throttle, while beads of sweat ran down his forehead. 

Without thinking Mahiru forced her free hand into his own. There was a beat before he squeezed it tightly. His pointer finger fumbled with her ring. Not particularly noticing the gesture, but his body still appreciated it none the less. 

His trembling ceased as the white balloon reached its full circumference. Soda and Mahiru watched in anticipation. There was a pause. And then, it began to levitate! Higher and higher, it rose above their heads at a steady pace and didn’t seem to be slowing!

“HAHA IT WORKED!” Soda cheered, wrapping his arms around Mahiru in an embrace. “WE DID IT! WE DID IT! IT’S FLYING!” 

He eagerly jumped up and down, refusing to let go of her. She was frozen stiff from the sudden display of affection, but not upset in the slightest. He squeezed tighter, before lifting her off the ground, and swinging her in a circle. 

“See, what did I tell you?” Mahiru assured him as he let her go. “I mean how could it not work?”

The two spent the remainder of the day watching the device while it broke through the atmosphere. 

They then took turns steering the radiosonde around the beach, playfully chasing after it as they did. Soda regularly took time to explain all the different functions of the machine in real time. How he used the radio as a way to communicate with it. How it knew when to take pictures. And finally, how they were able to steer it despite the distance. Eventually it had gotten close enough to the ground so that they could hunt it down and retrieve it.

“C’mon! Let’s go see it!” Soda howled, this time he was the one to grab her hand. The two ran along the beach and met up with the white machine as it glided into the sand.

“So, what now?” Mahiru asked, as Soda picked it up.

“Well, now it’s time to decipher it’s recordings. I’m no weather man but I’ll see what I can find!” He pulled the camera out its compartment, and handed it to Mahiru. Do you wanna develop the photos while I do it?”

“Well, it’s not like there’s anyone else who can.” She teased, taking the camera from him. “Yeah, it’ll only take an hour or two so I’ll bring them by at dinner."

“Sounds great!” Soda cheered. “Thanks for helping me out, See ya!”

\---

“So, did your errands go well?” Hiyoko asked, flipping through a magazine. Once again, she was sprawled out on Mahiru’s bed.

“Yeah!” Mahiru replied, glancing through the photos. Stopping when she ran into one of Soda hugging her as the balloon began to float. His goofy expression of pure joy, contrasted with her awkward blushing.

Chuckling, she turned to gaze at the silver ring on her finger.

“Hey, you look like someone who could use this!” Soda’s words from a few days ago echoed in her mind. “I mean you don’t seem the type to really enjoy jewelry. But something about it reminds me of you. So you should keep it!”

Mahiru blushed, as she slid the photo into her drawer. “I had a really great day!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretend that the Kirlian Photography can take normal photos. Or that Rocketpunch sells disposable cameras.


	3. Two More Weeks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Only two more weeks before they can see one another. Until then they're connected by something simple, but meaningful.
> 
> Kazukoi Week 2020, Day 3: Pictures

Humming a small tune, Mahiru placed a roll of film inside of her bag along with a box of batteries and several granola bars. With her bag now fully packed, she took a few deep breaths in order to mentally prepare herself for work. The frigid air inside the metal facility, made it so she could see her breath whenever she exhaled. She was never able to get used to the cold, but put up with it none the less for the sake of professionalism. 

Allowing herself a few more seconds of pleasure. She held her hands out in front of her room’s heater, before shoving them inside her turquoise gloves.

Ready to seize the day, she exited her extremely-cramped quarters, closing and locking the door behind her. The freezing hall of the building made her chilly room feel like a sauna, as she began shivered non-stop the moment she left it.

Making her way down the corridor that lead to the facilities meeting room, Mahiru checked her watch to see she was still twenty minutes early for roll call. But seeing that she had to make a pit stop, it didn’t matter.

“JEEZ! Did you guys play cards all night again?” Mahiru groaned, glaring at the other members of her lazy documentation crew. They were all still sound asleep in their bunks. 

“This isn’t a field trip, wake up already! The observation team are heading out in fifteen minutes, and not a single one of you are even awake yet? Come on, the penguins aren’t going to wait forever you know!”

Mahiru switched on the rooms blinding-yellow overhead light, making several of the men groan in frustration. Crawling out of their beds like how snails crawl out of their shells.

“Ten minutes! And I want those teeth brushed!” She snapped.

“Ok mom!” One the men yelled, in a drowsy but mocking manner.

“Jeez!” She groaned, climbing up a set of stairs to reach the meeting room. Several members of the observation team were already there gearing up. “Sorry, but the rest my crew decided to sleep in!”

“It’s no big deal, several of ours are taking their time as well!” One of them replied, as he slid his goggles over his eyes.

Mahiru shoved her arms into her pink coat, zipping it up over her maroon turtleneck. She then slid a yellow beanie over her crimson hair, and black goggles over her eyes. 

Only two more weeks, and she would be getting on a boat to leave the artic. She had only been there six months, but the other members of the documentation crew had made it feel as if she had been there for years. 

She was personally chosen as a photographer during this artic expedition by the people funding it. Given the task of taking candid photos of the observation crew while they worked. As well as any scenery that she felt summed up her daily life there. Mahiru being a master of doing just that couldn’t refuse the offer.

The ordeal had been a lot of fun, despite the cold weather. She was able to get a bunch of cool shots of the base and the people inside. Not to mention all the seals and penguins she saw each time they went exploring. 

The observation team were pretty easy to get along with too, hardly causing any drama for the photographer. But then came the other members of her documentation team. They on the other hand, we’re an absolute pain to put up with.

All they had to do was photograph the observation team while they worked, and the occasional animal should they see one. But as the unreliable frat boys that they were, they always acted like the simplest of jobs were chores. And even when they did do their work, they treated it like a joke. Always either messing with each other’s shots, or making a ruckus so that nobody could concentrate. 

Especially during the first two weeks, where they absolutely would not leave Mahiru alone. Always pulling childish pranks on her. Such as pinching her butt, or shoving snow in her face. Not to mention the obnoxious nicknames they’d give her like: ‘Sweet Cheeks’. 

These boys acted as if going to the Antarctic, somewhere people would kill to visit, was just a tedious trip to a museum. And Mahiru was not having it.

As they lazily climbed the stairs, she clicked her tongue in disbelief.

“Are you guys not going to eat anything?” She asked in her usual disappointed tone. “Its four hours there and back, not to mention the three hours when we’re actually working! If you lot aren’t going to have breakfast, then I better not hear any complaints about being hungry?”

The crew circled back down the stairs, and in the direction of the cafeteria, as the observation crew snickered.

The reason they only pranked her for two weeks, and not any of the rest. Was because on the final day of their bullying, Mahiru straight up punched one of them for pouring water on her while she was eating dinner. And lucky for her the observation team were willing to stand up for her actions making the three leave her alone from then on. Now all they could do was mumble angrily whenever she got onto them for their immaturity.

“I’m going to miss you Koizumi!” Brody, the chief of the observation team laughed. “It’s not gonna be the same without you here keeping those knuckleheads in line.”

“Yeah, I bet that’s why her husband left the planet, to get away from her nagging!” Another crewmate joked.

Mahiru smirked, shaking her head.

\---

As she now stood outside in the frigid air, Mahiru took several shots of Brody looking over his charts. While the rest of the observation crew began readying the snowmobiles for the voyage. After taking a picture of them revving the engines, she looked over to see the rest of the documentation team trudging from the base. Already they were slacking off trying to make one another trip. Definitely endangering their equipment.

Sighing she looked up at the clear blue sky in one particular spot. She wasn’t certain if it was where the Sky-High Space Station was located, but she always looked in that direction anytime she thought about Kazuichi. Why couldn’t these guys be like him? She didn’t need to constantly nag him, because after she did it the first time he learned his lesson and didn’t do it again.

Reaching in her pocket she pulled out a picture of Soda himself standing in front of the space shuttle he had built. He was wearing khaki pants and a black shirt with constellations on it that NASA had given him for all his hard work.

She remembered, that after taking the picture, Kazuichi showed her inside it. He gave her a full tour of the large vehicle, even before a single astronaut had stepped foot inside. He finished the tour by letting her sit in the cockpit with him. Together they looked up at the night sky pretending they were drifting in space, their hands interlocked.

Smiling to herself, Mahiru kissed the photo.

“Sweet Dreams, my dear!” she cooed, placing the photo back in her pocket.

\---

“Ground Control to Sky-High! Ground Control to Sky-High! We’ve discovered an issue with engine seven. Do you copy?” 

Soda let out a sigh, as he put his headset on. 

“Sky-High to ground control, already taken care of. Over and out.” Soda yawned into the microphone, before falling backwards. His body floated aimlessly through the control room of the Sky-High World Space Station. The weightlessness that at first made his stomach upset because of his motion sickness, was now almost a thing of bliss after being up there so long. 

For every waking second of his time in space, it seemed Soda was preventing disasters. Nobody said being an engineer at a space station would be easy, but the amount of issues that could be avoided if people did their jobs correctly was nuts. 

The place was clumsily built for one thing. That, and not alot of the astronauts were careful enough to prevent certain problems such as: not leaving a wrench floating around a control room where it could break machinery, not accidentally pressing buttons as they made out with one another, or not leaving freeze dried noodles near an engine. 

Soda was always getting onto them about cleaning up after themselves. Or to take their jobs seriously enough, that they weren’t always putting the whole crew’s life at risk. He really wished Mahiru was there to give them a piece of her mind. Knowing it would be enough to make anyone act serious.

But Mahiru or not, he was exhausted. As he continued to aimlessly float through the control room, he felt himself falling asleep. Unsure if he’d be able to make it to his bed on his own.

“Oh dear, don’t die on us buddy!” he heard a crewmate say, as two sets of hands grabbed ahold of his shoulders and waist. “Two more weeks, and we’re going home! Just hang in there!”

“Yeah bro you don’t want to kick the bucket before you see your wife again, right?” The other added as they guided him to his bunk. 

Soda strapped himself to the bed with a sigh. For eighteen months he had been in space, 254 miles away from home. And more importantly away from Mahiru. They hadn’t even been married a year when he completed his first space shuttle, and was put on it just as quick. The Sky-High needed an expert mechanic to keep it in good shape, as the astronauts did whatever their jobs were.

Reaching into his pillow he pulled out a photo of his wife. It was one he had taken of her himself. On a bright summer day at a coffee shop. She had recently returned from an expedition in South America and because of this, her eyes had dark spots under them from jet lag.

But she had looked beautiful as ever in her yellow sundress. They sat at the café as she showed him all the pictures she had taken before resting her head on his chest. Falling asleep from exhaustion soon after. Much like he was about to.

Soda smiled to himself before kissing the picture.

“Good morning, my love! Have a nice day!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *meanwhile*
> 
> Ibuki: Plays trombone
> 
> Hiyoko: Slams oven door


	4. Bicycle and Dinner for Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 4: Bike
> 
> Soda and Mahiru spend an evening together

“Hey hey? What’s with the long face?” Soda asked, pedaling his bicycle up to Mahiru as she slowly walked along the sidewalk. “Are you alright?”

Mahiru was holding two large grocery sacks in her arms, walking as slow as possible so not to drop them. Her arms trembling from the weight and discomfort of the crinkled paper digging into her arms.

“Oh Kazuichi! What are you doing here?” She asked, readjusting the sacks. “Actually, I’m kind of focused on this right now, so do you mind not distracting me?”

Stepping off the bike Soda walked it besides her. “Wow, that’s a lot of groceries for one person!”

“Jeez, did you not hear a word I just said?”

“Chill, chill! Here, if you want, I can give you a ride!” He said defensively. “I’ve been testing this baby all week, so it’s definitely safe! You can put your bags in the basket!”

Mahiru looked at the bike, then the basket, then Soda. He seemed super genuine about the offer. And the yellow and blue bike did look good. Not to mention the neon basket on the front really was big enough that it could comfortably fit both bags inside. Sighing, Mahiru placed them in the basket before hopping on the back of the bike.

“Are you ready?” Soda asked.

“Yep!” Mahiru answered, placing her hands on his shoulders.

“Then let’s go!” he cheered, before slowly beginning to peddle. Mahiru held on tight, expecting Kazuichi to zoom along the bike path at top speeds. But that wasn’t the case at all.

Barely moving, he gently steered the bike from side to side along the grey pavement. Mahiru wondered if it was because of the groceries weighing them down that they were moving so slow. But Soda didn’t appear bothered by it, as he happily took in the scenery and warm breeze.

“Hey Kazuichi, I don’t mind if you want to go faster!” Mahiru said, tapping his shoulder.

“Do what? No, this is fine!” Soda stammered, becoming a bit uneasy. “I mean if we go too fast, we might crash. And you don’t want your groceries to get ruined, do you?”

“Yeah, makes sense!” Mahiru replied. He was nice enough to give her a ride, so she shouldn’t question it. 

“So?” Soda asked, looking inside the bags. “Why are you carrying this much food by yourself anyway?” 

“Well, if you must know" Mahiru, became annoyed. “My good for nothing dad makes me get the groceries by myself!”

“Whoa your dad lets you pick out the food!” Soda asked, looking amazed before returning his gaze at the road.

“Yeah, but then he always complains about what I cook. It’s always: ‘Really? No thanks, I’m going out’. Only to eat the leftovers anyway!”

“That’s no good!” Soda replied, “But it must be nice getting to cook whatever you want!”

“I guess. Hamburger steak, curry, and omelet rice always tastes good. And they’re super quick to make.”

“What are you making tonight?”

“Hmm let’s see…we still have some leftovers from the last few nights that my dad didn’t get to. Maybe I’ll might make okonomiyaki, with a side salad.”

“What? How can your old man not want any of that?” Soda gasped, turning the bike onto Mahiru’s street.

“Beats me!” She shrugged, “Well, what about you? What’s for dinner?” 

Soda thought to himself: “Cup Ramen I guess.”

“Just cup ramen?” Mahiru gasped.

“Soy sauce too!” He said defensively, “Why does it matter?” As he said this, he pulled the bike up to her apartment. 

Getting off, Mahiru grabbed one of the bags from the basket.

“If that’s the case, why don’t you have dinner with me.” She offered, her face growing a bit pink.

“Huh? You want to eat dinner with me? Like together?” Soda asked, scratching the back of his head.

“Don’t be like that! It’s not like a date or anything?” Mahirus pink cheeks turned full red. “I-I-Its just a thank you for the ride home is all!”

Kazuichi grabbed the other bag and began to follow her up the stairs to her apartment. Unlocking the door, the two removed their shoes. Carrying the groceries inside, they placed them onto the kitchen counter.

As the photographer started unpacking the food, she starred over at Kazuichi who stood awkwardly looking around. 

Her house was probably how most would expect it to look. Very average, but extremely tidy. Several filing cabinets were arranged against the wall. Each labeled by year, and signed with the name of whose pictures were inside. Most of them belonged to her mother, but there were some that were Mahiru’s.

On the walls were a bunch of framed photos. A lot were of different war scenarios: Helicopter crashes, burning tanks, the inside of submarines. They were hard to look at, but most visitors found themselves unable to take their eyes off of them. No matter how unsettling they were.

But then between the terrifying images there were the occasional pictures of Mahiru herself when she was younger. One where she had a camera, one of her laughing while riding a carousel, even a few of her smiling with her good for nothing dad.

It really was a weird contrast to have such sweet images mixed in with the turmoil of humanity. But most would agree that it was a perfect depiction of the world through Mahiru’s mother’s eyes.

“Hey Kazuichi, do you wanna help me?” Mahiru asked placing vegetables and a knife besides a cutting board. “I already washed them, but can you slice them into strips?”

“Um, sure!” Kazuichi replied. Taking the knife, he began daintily cutting at the carrot as Mahiru started to cook the okonomiyaki.

The two cooked for around thirty minutes before it was finally finished, and there were three plates of the dish ready for consumption. 

“Can you separate the salad into three bowls?” She asked Soda, before exiting down the hall to where her and her dad’s rooms were located. 

Mahiru stopped in front of her parents’ room. Taking a deep breath, she tapped her knuckles against the door. 

“Dad, I’ve made dinner!” She called out, before listening intently for a reply.

“What is it?” She heard him ask, his voice groggily from sleeping all day.

“It’s okonomiyaki,” She replied. “I have a friend from school here too.”

“Go away, I don’t want any!”

“Are you sure? It sme-"

“SHUT UP, I ALREADY TOLD YOU I DON’T WANT ANY!”

Feeling dejected was nothing new to the photographer. Her desire to cry from being yelled at dispersed as soon as it came. Walking back into the kitchen, Soda looked extremely anxious. He had probably heard her dad yell at her and it made him uneasy. 

“Okay, I guess it’s just us.” Mahiru said, calmly taking a plate and putting it in the fridge. “We’ll eat in the living room.”

“Sounds great!” Soda replied, grabbing the other two plates and following Mahiru over to a table in the den. He set them on two placemats that already contained empty glasses and chopsticks.

Both of them sat down on pillows, placing their hands together to say: ‘thanks for the meal’.

Mahiru poured juice inside the two glasses, before she nonchalantly turned on the TV and began to watch while she ate. Soda sat awkwardly eating the salad, while going back and forth between watching the TV and his date. 

“Are you ok?” She asked, noticing his reaction as she went in to take a bite.

“I’m just not used to watching TV with dinner.” He replied, taking his own bite of food. “My dad never allows it!”

“Really, do you want me to turn it off? Like I said I usually eat alone, so the TV kind of make it so there’s noise. Plus, there’s this one kind of funny comedy show that comes on around now.”

“Oh ok! Then let’s watch it!” Soda cheered, “Dad usually has nothing good to say anyways so it’ll be nice.”

After they had finished, Kazuichi helped her with the dishes, before she walked him out the door.

“Thanks for dinner, you’re a really good cook!” he grinned, getting on his bike.

“Oh, it was nothing. I mean, I was just saying thank you for helping me!”

“Well, if you ever need a ride again, just let me know! I had a real nice time.”

“I definitely will, and you better believe there will be a meal for you to go along with it! I make really good hamburger steak!”

“I’ll be looking forward to it!” Soda cheered as he slowly took off. “Bye now!”

“Be safe!” Mahiru called, waving to him. As he slowly disappeared down the street, she finally set her hand down. “I’ll be looking forward to it as well.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah only 1/4th of it takes place on a bike. But hey dinner date, and neglectful parenting!


	5. Wonder of You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Princess Mahiru has a special request from her Prince Charming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song they're dancing to:  
> https://youtu.be/F5eEvfOyb7k

“Whaaa? Iz empty?” Mahiru moaned, turning the empty beer can upside down. “Ka-Kazuichi, somebody drank my beer?”

Soda starred at her with concern. It had been almost midnight when he received a call from Mikan. A call saying that he should come pick his wife, and their house gremlin up from the monthly: Class 77 girls’ night.

Hiyoko sat sleeping at Hajime and Mikan's kitchen table, with her head in a bowl of peanuts. 

Mahiru’s face was flushed, as she drunkenly smiled at him. Her brown coat-dress hugged her body, while she twiddled with the buttons on it. Licking her lips, she approached him. Throwing her hands around his neck, she planted a slobbery kiss on his cheek.

“H-hey cutie, wanna dance?” She flirted, her breath reeking of booze. “This music is so, seductive wouldn’t you agree?”

“As fun as that sounds, I think we better get you home.” Soda suggested, his hands wrapping around hers. “Hinata probably wants to go to bed soon!”

“Aww babe, you’re no fun!” Mahiru complained with drawn speech. “Let’s dyaaagh!” 

Before she could say anything else, she was being cradled in her husband’s arms. The speed of which left her dazed for a few seconds, but when she came to her look of confusion turned into one of joy. 

“Whats that look for?” Soda asked, as he woke Hiyoko. 

The dancer seemed to be only a bit tipsy, as she studied the situation. Understanding what was going on, she grabbed hold of Soda's belt so he could lead her to the car.

“When you carry me like this, I feel like a princess!” Mahiru giggled, resting her head on his chest. “I’m Sonia! Let’s go to Novercoco, or whatever the hell it’s called!”

“How about princess Mahiru return to her own palace? We can dance when we get there.” Soda calmly answered, as they left their friends’ house. “No one else needed a ride, correct?”

“No!” Hiyoko answered quietly. “Four Eyes was still sober, so she took the others home!” 

“That’s good!” Soda sighed with relief, as they approached the car. “Hiyoko, do you mind opening the door?”

The dancer obliged opening the backseat, before hopping into the front one. She was always weirdly calm and complaint whenever she was drunk. But it would always result in her being extremely moody during her hangover the next day. But as of now, Soda could only be thankful for her help, while he slid Mahiru into the backseat.

Mahiru kept her smile, as she watched him put her seat belt on over her chest. 

“You alright?” Soda asked.

“Why does Hiyoko get to ride shotgun?” She joked. Mahiru as well was a completely different person when intoxicated. Her usual hardheaded attitude, was replaced with an easygoing playful demeanor. But even on the occasion that she did get drunk, she was never usually this bad. Something must have been bothering her before she started that night. And she was no lightweight, so whatever it was must have really upset her, for her to be this drunk.

After stroking her cheek, he shut the door. She watched him through the window giggling.

“Alright princess, we’ll be at the palace in about ten minutes. When we get there, how does a bath sound?” He called out to the backseat, only for there to be no answer. 

“Mahiru?” He asked again, positioning his rear-view mirror so he could look at her. Only to find her now fast asleep.

\---

“Up we go!” Soda huffed, lifting his wife in his arms for the second time that evening.

“Where are we going?” Mahiru slurred, “Are we at the castle?”

“Yep! Do you want me to help you take a bath, or are you just ready for bed?”

“Take a bath with me!”

“Sounds like a plan!”

Bringing Mahiru, into their house he set her on the couch. 

“Are you heading to bed?” He asked Hiyoko, as she grabbed a bottle of water from the kitchen.

“Yeah, goodnight!” She replied, heading into her room.

“G'night!” Soda called to her. “Alright my little ‘Koi Fish’, stay here and I’ll get the bath ready!”

He ran upstairs to do so. As the warm water began to fill the tub, he gathered fresh towels and a pair of pajamas for her to put on afterwards. It wasn’t until he turned off the, faucet that he heard the echo of music chiming downstairs.

Heading in that direction, he was met by Mahiru halfway. She was holding the source of the music. A small radio that Soda would occasionally take to work.

“Whatcha up to?” he asked, as she placed her hands on his shoulders. “The bath is ready!”

Mahiru chuckled, swaying her hips from side to side. 

“No no no!” She whispered, brushing her cheek against his so that her lips were right beside his ear. “You said we could dance when we got home, and now we’re home.”

Soda sighed, grabbing the radio from her hands and placing it on a nearby end table. Then taking his hands he put them on her hips. Hugging her close he pressed his mouth against her red hair, giving her a gentle kiss on the head. The two swayed back and forth to the tune of the music.

Luckily the song was slow, and the singers voice was a deep baritone. That mixed with the fact that he was singing in English, so Soda barely had idea what he was saying, blended well. Those facts made it so that the two of them were able to dance peacefully.

“Soda?” Mahiru asked, looking up at him. She lost her grin and now looked increasingly sorrowful.

“Whats up?” Soda asked, growing concerned. “You don’t want to dance anymore?”

“N-no, it’s not that!” Her voice got quiet, and it was clear that she definitely had something important on her mind now, despite her drunken state. “D-do you really love me, even though I’m not a princess?”

“Of course, I love you,” He gasped. “I was a kid when I wanted to date a princess. I was young and foolish and couldn’t see things as clear as I do now. Because now I know, that I don’t need a princess to be happy. All I need is a sweet girl like you, who’s a wonderful dancer"

He looked down at Mahiru who again had fallen asleep. Her arms were still draped over his shoulders, and her head pressed against his chest. 

Soda smiled to himself as he continued to sway side to side, with her in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Psht, of course one of the days had to be 'Dancing", everyone knows I find it romantic!


	6. Call From Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 6: Family
> 
> Mahiru and Kazuichi call home.

Mahiru woke up to find herself covered in sweat. The humidity in the room was almost unbearable, as she panted heavily. If it hadn’t been for the clicking noise coming from the ceiling fan above her, she wouldn’t have believed the hotel room had one at all.

Despite wearing nothing but a pair of black panties, her whole body had become sticky from how much she had been sweating. But not nearly as much as Kazuichi. They practically stuck to one another, as he embraced her. His hair soaking wet, while sprawled out along his pillow.

Mahiru smiled, feeling his arms wrapped around her torso. She nuzzled up to him, making his grip tighten. Comfortably holding her close.

Mahiru peered over at the clock, noticing that it had been four in the morning where they were. She then peered over at her watch that rested beside it.

It would be roughly five p.m. back home. Which meant she would be receiving a call soon.

“Kazuichi, wake up!” she hummed, nudging him awake. “Come on babe, the kid’s will be calling soon!”

“What time is it?” Soda asked, rubbing his eyes.

“Four A.M. for us, but it’s about to be five for them!” Mahiru grumbled, sitting up straight. “Put a shirt on, they’ll be calling any second now.”

Kazuichi climbed out of bed in only his yellow boxers. Reaching into his suitcase, he pulled out a black t-shirt. 

“Can you get me one too, please?” She asked, “Thank you!”

Soda handed her a grey tank top, which she quickly put on to cover her bare chest.

Suddenly, Mahiru’s phone began to ring. Hiyoko’s face invaded the center of the screen alongside the ‘accept' and ‘decline' options.

“Oh! She’s calling!” Mahiru gasped, as Soda leaped back in bed beside her. 

Clicking the ‘accept' button, Hiyoko suddenly appeared in real time. In her free hand was Mahiru and Kazuichi’s infant son: Eigazo.

The nine-month-old clung to Hiyoko, with a pacifier in his mouth. His focus though was on something off screen. To Hiyoko's right, clinging to her waist was their five-year-old son Philip. His expression always made him look nervous. But upon seeing his parents, he smiled brightly.

“Come on boys say: ‘Hi mom and dad!’” Hiyoko cheered, as Philip signed out the words with his fingers. “Uh oh, we didn’t interrupt anything did we?” Hiyoko teased, with a mischievous grin. “Ma and Pa have worked up quite the sweat.”

“N-no! We just woke up; we weren’t doing anything!” Soda argued, a blush forming on his face. “It’s this stupid sauna of a hotel room!”

“Uh-huh, better get the cleanup committee in there!” Hiyoko snickered.

“The kids aren’t causing you trouble, are they?” Mahiru asked.

“Trouble? Are you kidding?” Hiyoko scoffed. “These are my little buddies, there’s no trouble to be had unless I’m the ringleader. And we call that fun, not trouble!”

Hiyoko got Philips’s attention, before signing something to him that Mahiru couldn’t make out. He took the phone from her and positioned it on the kitchen table so that his parents could see his hands and face.

Phillip was five years old. He had black hair like his father had originally, but with natural red highlights like his mother. He was always extremely tidy in both: the way he presented himself, and when it came to being organized. 

He loved to play, but not with overly complex toys. A simple plastic car, or action figures were all he needed. But he absolutely adored puzzles. He could spend a whole afternoon putting one together, anticipating what the end result would be. 

With his parents, he didn’t play favorites. He was always interested in whatever his dad had been working on. And adored sitting in his mom’s lap, as she showed him the pictures she had taken. 

He also was very quick to win over Hiyoko. After MahIru and Kazuichi brought him home from the hospital, she took an instant liking to Philly (Even giving him his nickname). 

Hiyoko was always wanting to hold, or cuddle with him. And most importantly; the second he could walk, she taught him how to dance. She was practically a third parent, going with the others to his doctor appointments. Or taking him to the park on weekends. She was always there when Philly needed her. She was even willing to leave midway through dance performances, should something happen to him.

“Are you having a good time?” Soda asked, signing the words as he said them. “Doing a lot of fun stuff, I bet?”

‘Yep!’ Philip replied in sign language. ‘We’ve done a lot of puzzles, and watched some movies, and she gave me some candy! 

“Are you doing your chores?” Mahiru asked. 

‘Yes, every day. And summer homework too!’

“That’s my boy!” Mahiru signed, as Hiyoko put Eigazo in his high chair. “How’s your brother doing?”

‘He was fussy at first, but now he’s fine!’ Philip gently hugged the baby. ‘I think he misses you!’

Eigazo was their other son, who unlike Phillip wasn’t deaf. And whereas Philly had always looked anxious. Eigazo, despite being a baby, always looked a bit annoyed. He had a tendency to be fussy at times, but his fits only lasted a few minutes. Since he was 9 months old, he had recently begun to crawl. Yet still preferred people to carry him everywhere. Not that anyone minded.

“We’re going to the expo tonight buddy!” Soda signed, “Did you want us to bring you back anything fun?” 

‘Mommy’s pictures, and a puzzle!’ 

“Sounds like a plan! We’ll see what we can do!” Soda told him

“I'm not sure if they’ll have a puzzle, but I can definitely take pictures for you!” Mahiru signed. “Eigazo just want’s milk I bet!”

‘Yeah!’ Philip picked up the phone, and directed it at his baby brother. The baby watched them with lazy eyes.

“Hey buddy! How’s my little guy doing?” Soda cheered, making faces into the phone. Eigazo just watched him unamused. 

Hiyoko appeared from behind the high chair. Placing a few pieces of cereal in front of the baby, before taking the phone from Phillip.

“Oh yeah, give the baby nightmares will ya?” Hiyoko joked, walking the phone over to the stove where she had been cooking something. “Anyway, so you have the exposition today, right? Then when that’s done, are you going out to eat and sight see?”

“Yep, that’s the plan!” Mahiru grinned “What about you three?”

“Oh, it’s going to be fun! I bought a whole bag of drugs for them. We’re going to watch snuff films. Maybe call a stripper!” Hiyoko teased, laughing when she noticed Soda's expression. “I’m kidding Big Bro! Don’t make that face! No, after dinner I’ll run Philly a bath, then we can watch one of his movies with a puzzle.” 

“Sounds great!” Mahiru said, “I really appreciate you Hiyoko!”

“Yeah well, anything for my Big Sis you know! Well, dinners almost done so I’m going to let you go! Don’t forget to take pictures! Knock em dead during your presentation Big Bro! I love you both!”

“We love you!” Mahiru replied, as Hiyoko hung up! 

Looking over Soda, he had already taken off his shirt and was folding it to be put back in his suitcase. Joining her in the bed, he spooned her, while she turned off the light.

“I was worried about leaving them alone with her, but she seems to be doing fine!” Soda stated, kissing her cheek. “She’s definitely a lot more mature than when she started living with us!”

“Yeah,” Mahiru replied nuzzling into him again. “Then again, Hiyoko always has been full of surprises.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phillip is named after the Screwdriver, and Eigazo is a mix of the Japanese words for 'film'(Eiga) and 'picture'(Gazo)


	7. What She Would Want

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 7: Despair
> 
> After Mahiru is murdered, Kazuichi is extremely troubled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning, this chapter contains violent descriptions of bullying, body horror, and a car crash. You have been warned!

“Shinjiro!” Kazuichi called out, running up to his friend. “Hey Shinjiro!”

He reached for the boy’s shoulder, only to stumble and fall. His thick framed glasses collided with the ground in front of him.

“What was that for?” Soda asked, looking up in confusion. “Is this about the test? I already told you I’m not mad! We’re friends after all!”

As he said this, Shinjiro reeled back his fist, and slammed it into Soda’s face.

“OW! WHATS GOING O-?” He was punched again. Then again, and again.

Knocked to the ground, Soda was continuously beaten with a flurry of punches. His face ached as tears dripped from his eyes and onto the floor. “Why are you doing this? Please, stop it!” He begged as blood poured from his nose. “No more, we’re friends!”

Then it all stopped. The punching. The pain. It all just came to a halt. 

Soda opened his eyes, but everything had gone dark. He looked around to see if he could spot any clues to where he was, or what happened. But there was only the abyss.

Suddenly, a spotlight ignited, revealing a single mirror standing before him. But it wasn’t him inside the reflection. It was some punk, with pink hair and sharp teeth.

Soda scratched the side of his head in confusion, only for the other guy to do the same. 

“Wait a minute!” he said, as the punk mouthed his exact words. “That’s right!”

It all came back to him; His friend abandoning him, coming to Hopes Peak, that bear showing up!

“Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk!” A familiar voice echoed through the dark room, as the mirror dissolved before his eyes. Fearfully placing his hands on the side of his head, Soda began to cry.

“Please, let me go! I don’t want to be on this trip! I don’t want to see my friends die!”

“Is that a fact?” A gravelly voice asked from behind him, as the scent of burning flesh filled the room. “You don’t want to see your friends die, but you don’t do anything to prevent it?”

Trembling, Kazuichi slowly turned to see a terrible sight. A short and charred figure stood before him. Parts of its skeleton peeked through the burned flesh, that appeared to be covered in breadcrumbs or something.

“You just stood there, you stood and watched. As they fried me alive!”

“T-teruteru?” Soda gasped, falling backwards in an attempt to get away.

“You let me die! Who’s going to take care of my Mama now? Who’s going to keep her safe, now that I’m dead!”

“It’s not my fault! It happened so fast!” Kazuichi bawled. “There was nothing I could do!”

“We were friends, right?” Teruteru’s corpse continued to creep up to him. “We drank coconut juice, we talked about the pretty girls, you even told me all your dirty secrets!”

A figure approached from the right. It was the mangled body of Togami. The stab wounds in his neck, and chest oozed his pink blood, while he slowly limped toward Kazuichi.

“If it wasn’t for you, and all of your silly tools. Then maybe Togami would have had time to inspect the building. He might have been able to figure out Komaeda’s plan, if he didn’t have to confiscate all of those toys you kept on you!”

On the other side was Pekoyama. She trudged menacingly, with her sword scraping along the ground. Each of the stab wounds throughout her body almost seemed to glow.

“That stupid game. The bear was tempting everyone. You’re the one who’s supposed to be good with machines, right? So why couldn’t you disassemble it? You could have stopped Monokuma's plan from the start. But you didn’t!”

Kazuichi fearfully glanced at them. The three corpses that were still approaching him, now stood roughly four feet away at most. While he continued trying to seek out the fourth. Where was she?

“And worst of all, you were too late! You could have gone to the beach house, but decided the diner was the better choice! You could have stopped them from killing her!”

Two petite hands caressed Soda’s shoulders from behind. He was frozen stiff out of pure terror, as the other three had caught up to him. Forcefully, they grabbed and began to violently shake him around. 

“You say you don’t want to see your friends die, but you never did anything to prevent it! And even now you still sit around the island like a loser. Even as all the terrible things continue to go on around you. So, in the end…”

Everyone disappeared, as It went quiet. Soda opened his eyes to see he was sitting in the center seat of a red convertible car. He was strapped into it by three seat belts that wrapped around his torso like snakes.

“Wha? What’s going on?” Soda asked.

“So, in the end, you’re guiltier than anyone!” A certain voice whispered into his ear.

The car’s engine revved, as several spotlights flashed on. Revealing that he was in the center of a large-circular arena.

Several gates opened, releasing a dozen terrifying looking cars covered in a variety of: spikes, blades, and battering rams. All of which began circling him. 

Sweat ran down his face.

His car’s GPS screen lit up in front of him. Revealing a rusted backdrop, with the words: ‘Ultimate Mechanic, Soda Kazuichi. Execution: Executed. Demolition Dumbass!’

All of the monstrous cars suddenly came to a halt. Slowly, they all turned to face him.

Without warning, one of them rammed itself into the back of Kazuichi’s car, the impact forced him to hit his head on the dashboard.

His forehead split open, as he became dizzy. But there was no time to react. 

Before he knew it, another one crashed into him from the front right. Then from the left, the center, the back right.

Eventually, all of the cars were slamming themselves into his. Forcing Kazuichi to be violently thrown against the various doors, and windows of his vehicle. Bruises and cuts formed all over his body. The continued assault of pain and confusion almost drove him insane, until everything froze.

An even louder roar echoed throughout the stadium. Followed by a bunch of cheering. Looking in the direction of where it came from, Soda noticed the surviving members of his class sitting in the bleachers. Nidai and Owari triumphantly raised their arms. Saionji, Tsumiki, and Mioda held up signs that read: ‘Kill the Loser.” Komaeda, Chiaki, Kuzuryu, and Tanaka clapped and cheered. Sonia maliciously stroked her thumb against her throat, then pointed at him. And finally, Hinata sat with a contempt smile, as he waved ‘goodbye’ to Soda.

Another deafening engine roar summoned a gargantuan Monster Truck that burst out from underground, and landed directly in front of him. It was a towering creature of a vehicle. Black and white, with blinding crimson headlights that menacingly glared at its victim. Its wheels were covered in barbs the length of Kazuichi’s arms, and the exhaust pipes erupted with flames. Once more it maliciously revved its engines.

Soda watched in horror as the hood of the monster truck burst open to reveal a vile mess of an engine. Looking like a mix of chainsaws, blowtorches, and the mouths of a vicious animals. It screeched at him, while several jumper cables launched from the mechanical mouth, and wrapped around his neck.

Gasping for air, Kazuichi grabbed at the chords as the truck began reeling him in. Soda’s eyes went wide with panic. The sharp mechanical jaws snapped, as molten iron was spat out of various points.

“Kill him, kill him, kill him, kill him!" His classmates cheered. While closer and closer he was pulled towards it. The heat of the machines’ exhaust singed his skin, forcing his eyes shut.

“PLEASE NO!” He wailed, “I DON’T WANNA DIE!”

“What are you talking about?” Someone asked.

Soda tore open his eyes, and looked around. The terrifying jaws of death had been replaced with: white sand, palm trees, and a sparkling blue ocean. He was on the beach.

“Well? What are you talking about?” She asked again, as Soda looked around confused. What happened to the monster truck, the zombies, his classmates? “KAZUICHI?”

Looking down, he noticed a coconut lying at his feet.

“Um, hello?” He asked, kneeling down beside it. 

“Seriously? Why would a coconut be talking to you?” Soda turned to see Mahiru standing behind him, her hands on her hips. “Jeez, what do you eat before bed to be having a messed-up dream like that?”

“Koizumi?” Soda asked, rubbing his eyes.

“No, well not really!” She replied. “I’m just your conscience, speaking to you in a form that you’ll actually listen to!”

“But…why?”

“You’re having night terrors!” She moaned. “Those aren’t normal!”

“But, why as her?” Soda sobbed, as the stress and guilt of the dream overtook him. “Why as her of all people?”

Mahiru gently placed her hand on his shoulder: “Because she’s the one you feel the guiltiest about.”

Soda bawled into his hands.

“You tell yourself that: If you were smart, then you and Hinata would have met at the beach house instead of the diner. That it would have look more natural for the two of you to be there. And then maybe, you would have caught Peko and Fuyuhiko before they killed her.”

“Because I would have!”

“Defeated two extremely talented Yakuza?”

“Well, maybe!” Kazuichi cried.

“Maybe not! Listen to me, none of this is your fault. Nobody is blaming you for anything! Teruteru, Togami, and Pekoyama did what they did. There was no way you could have prevented that! So, if you truly want to honor the ones you cared about. Then quit living a life blaming yourself for what you couldn’t do for those that are no longer here. And instead, step up and protect those you still have!”

“Huh?” Soda asked. To which she motioned along the beach. The remaining classmates had been sitting along the shore. Seemingly enjoying themselves, they noticed him!”

“Soda Bro! Come join the fun!” Nidai shouted, as him and Owari munched on some meat. 

“Hey! Get over here!” Mioda cheered, looking away from Saionji putting Tsumiki in a headlock.

The others were either splashing in the water, or working on sandcastle. Aside from Komaeda who was tied to a palm tree to keep him from acting up.

Even Hinata gestured for Soda to come join them, as he took a sip of juice.

“They need you more than you think. Nobody else is capable of doing what you can do. So, step up to the task, and protect them the way only you can.”

Soda whipped the tears from his eyes, as his breath became heavy.

“It’s what she would want.” Mahiru stated, turning to walk away. 

Only for Soda to grab her arm. Pulling her into an embrace, Soda held her tight one last time. She returned it for a second, before dissolving in his arms.

Catching his breath, Soda began making his way over to his classmates.

“Thank You!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last day and wow what a downer to end on! But this was a really fun week!


End file.
